Green-clad patrons pack Corky Row Club for St. Patrick's Day

The dining room at the Corky Row Club smelled of corned beef and cabbage, but it only added to the atmosphere.

Going strong for a third straight day of celebrations, all leading up to Sunday’s St. Patrick’s Day finale, club President Jeff Griffin said the group was working on 1,000 pounds of corned beef, 400 pounds of potatoes, 300 pounds of carrots and 15 bushels of cabbage.

The dining room at the Corky Row Club smelled of corned beef and cabbage, but it only added to the atmosphere.

Going strong for a third straight day of celebrations, all leading up to Sunday’s St. Patrick’s Day finale, club President Jeff Griffin said the group was working on 1,000 pounds of corned beef, 400 pounds of potatoes, 300 pounds of carrots and 15 bushels of cabbage.

Inside the tiny kitchen connected to the dining room, three cooks toiled away over simmering pans of sliced corned beef, taking spare moments to grab a bite to eat from the smorgasbord of food.

There was, of course, plenty of beer to be had as well, as bartenders hustled between the bar and an open window in the dining room to keep patrons hydrated.

“It’s been a long weekend, but I’m impressed with what I see here today,” Griffin said as he looked out over a dining area full of green-clad patrons.

“To have the support of all these people, here to support the Corky Row Club, personally I want to thank them on our behalf,” Griffin said.

The three days of celebrations, which also included club members marching in the Newport, R.I., parade on Saturday, served as a “grand remodeling opening” after the club was rededicated earlier in the week. The remodeled club comes after it nearly closed down in 2010, when members announced the club was broke and ideas to keep it alive were no longer coming.

But on Sunday, Irish music blared from speakers over a sea of green, competing with voices and horns one would usually hear along a parade route.

Griffin said the weekend of activities is a “big boost to the club” to keep it going well into the future as he described the old dining room as “nasty.”

“I hope so, I really hope so,” Griffin said of keeping the club alive.

It certainly helps, he said, when the club’s interest is growing.

“Look around here right now," Griffin said. "Everyone is family. This is a family. One way or another, everyone in this room knows someone at the Corky Row Club.”